Is the Thabes expedition "Canon"?

[ZeManaphy]

The other day, I was discussing Fire Emblem Heroes on Pokemon Showdown's Video Game forums, and I asked what Alm and Celica would think of seeing Grima. One user told me that the Alm and Celica going to Thabes isn't canon because the first exalt was the first one to fight Grima; but the events discussed in Thabes Labyrinth are canon. I disagreed, so we went into a small debate. So I came here to discuss: Is Thabes Labyrinth canon?

[HK Motendra]

The Valentia Accordion implies that Alm & Celica MIGHT have gone there in it's timeline. Likewise, there is a legend in Furia where an ancient Fell God [Duma] who was banished to Western land [Valentia] by Divine Dragons would one day return. What they got instead of calamity was a "hero that seemed to be cloaked in azure flames and a maiden with shining wings". Make of that what you will.

As for the labyrinth itself? Yes, it's canon. Yes, it exists. Yes, all that lore is factual.

[Arcphoenix]

There's a lot of coincidences that points towards it being canon. I remember reading something on the timing of it being just right. That the first Exalt was just the second to fight Grima after Alm's initial attempt. Do I think Alm and Celica would actually go into Thabes and remove the shield (which iirc had some warning attached to it)? Not sure. It makes sense given the draw of treasure may have been needed to fix the land after the war. Removing the shield? I suppose if there was no initial threat at the time, someone like Boey made the mistake of removing it

[omegaxis1]

13 minutes ago, Arcphoenix said:

There's a lot of coincidences that points towards it being canon. I remember reading something on the timing of it being just right. That the first Exalt was just the second to fight Grima after Alm's initial attempt. Do I think Alm and Celica would actually go into Thabes and remove the shield (which iirc had some warning attached to it)? Not sure. It makes sense given the draw of treasure may have been needed to fix the land after the war. Removing the shield? I suppose if there was no initial threat at the time, someone like Boey made the mistake of removing it

If the Warning Note was a Fire Dragon guarding the door, then yeah.

But Alm and Celica likely thought they beat it. When in actuality, Grima escaped. This is because when Grima was defeated by the First Exalt and then Chrom/Robin, Grima left behind skeletal remains. The character guide mentions that when Grima was defeated, Grima simply vanished. Having left no remains behind, it's safe to say that Grima had escaped his prison and had been wandering for 1000 years before attacking again with more power.

[VincentASM]

Personally I think the Valentian Accordion did it best--essentially, the journey through the Thabes Labyrinth is canon if you choose it to be.

However, I do believe the contents of the labyrinth are canon at the very least, otherwise they wouldn't have put so much effort to describe everything.

All the stuff with the First Exalt is so vague, anything could have happened. In fact, one could even make an argument for Alm being the First Exalt, since his title (Saint-King in Echoes and Exalted King in Awakening) is synonymous with "exalt".

[omegaxis1]

1 minute ago, VincentASM said:

All the stuff with the First Exalt is so vague, anything could have happened. In fact, one could even make an argument for Alm being the First Exalt, since his title (Saint-King in Echoes and Exalted King in Awakening) is synonymous with "exalt".

1

Not really, since there's the 1000 year gap and the story we do know about him, about his wife being a pegasus knight and how he stood up for the taguel. 

[VincentASM]

4 minutes ago, omegaxis1 said:

Not really, since there's the 1000 year gap and the story we do know about him, about his wife being a pegasus knight and how he stood up for the taguel. 

Very good point. That's what I get for not getting enough sleep XD

Still, I always found it really suspicious how they share the same titles. I feel like they're trying to tell us something, but I dunno what.

I do hope a future game provides more info on the First Exalt, like how Echoes revealed more info on Grima ^^

[omegaxis1]

2 minutes ago, VincentASM said:

Very good point. That's what I get for not getting enough sleep XD

Still, I always found it really suspicious how they share the same titles. I feel like they're trying to tell us something, but I dunno what.

I do hope a future game provides more info on the First Exalt, like how Echoes revealed more info on Grima ^^

Well, Lucina also calls Alm the "other Hero-King" after all. I feel they made that title as a way of showing a holy kind of view since Alm saved everyone.

[Kazuya]

No. This isn't hard to understand. Everyone from Archanea dips out of Valentia and then Book 2 starts soon after. 

What's inside Thabes, however, is now canon. Just Act 6 isn't as it can't be. And why would a brand new King and Queen both go to Archanea for a random merchant they never met before when they have a brand new country to run? It's not sensible and it isn't possible.

[Jotari]

10 minutes ago, Kazuya said:

No. This isn't hard to understand. Everyone from Archanea dips out of Valentia and then Book 2 starts soon after. 

What's inside Thabes, however, is now canon. Just Act 6 isn't as it can't be. And why would a brand new King and Queen both go to Archanea for a random merchant they never met before when they have a brand new country to run? It's not sensible and it isn't possible.

I grant you it's not sensible, but nothing actually prevents it from being possible.

[DemolisherBPB]

26 minutes ago, Kazuya said:

And why would a brand new King and Queen both go to Archanea for a random merchant they never met before when they have a brand new country to run? It's not sensible and it isn't possible.

The very same reason that a random boy from a almost forgotten village is chosen to lead a military group to save the country. Plus Alm and Celica seem like the kind of people who'd let curiosity get th better of them. Plus they would have also agreed since they'd be informed of the danger on the seas so would help so more trade can come to the country safely.

[omegaxis1]

1 hour ago, Kazuya said:

No. This isn't hard to understand. Everyone from Archanea dips out of Valentia and then Book 2 starts soon after. 

What's inside Thabes, however, is now canon. Just Act 6 isn't as it can't be. And why would a brand new King and Queen both go to Archanea for a random merchant they never met before when they have a brand new country to run? It's not sensible and it isn't possible.

What they said above, and also by the possibility that maybe they want to also take this opportunity to establish a bond with their neighbors. Establishing an intercontinental trade with Archanea could actually help deal with the lack of resources now that Mila is gone for good, so her blessings will not provide much harvest.

[Slumber]

The way it was portrayed in-game? No.

But as for the events happening in some form, eventually? Probably. Alm still probably went there at some point.

[indigoasis]

I doubt it would've been put into the game for no reason.

From a gameplay standpoint, it's some after-story bonus content, but from a story/timeline standpoint, it let us know where Grima came from. As for Alm actually going there, my guess is that he did. I can't think of how the First Exalt would've come into contact with Grima had that one door in the Labyrinth with the shield on it not been unsealed and Grima escaping through there. Not unless the First Exalt did that himself or Grima grew too big for Thabes.

It's all up to player interpretation for right now until we get more concrete information about it. But if it's in the game, then it's probably canon. I know that last part doesn't hold true for some games, but let's just roll with it here for right now.

Edited August 9, 2018 by indigospace

[Hecatia]

To confirm things further we have to wait for an explanation about the Exalt thing, but Thabes is surely canon

On 8/8/2018 at 9:29 AM, VincentASM said:

Still, I always found it really suspicious how they share the same titles. I feel like they're trying to tell us something, but I dunno what.

I do hope a future game provides more info on the First Exalt, like how Echoes revealed more info on Grima ^^

Exactly! That 1000 year gap needs to be explained! (help i don't remember how many years Archanea became Yilsse)